All I Need
by torib0o
Summary: A short glimpse into Shikamaru and Neji's relationship as they take care of their son and Neji nears the end of his second pregnancy. ShikaNeji, Yaoi, AU, Romance, Family, Fluff, M-PREG, MPREG, Humor.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Has anyone else had an urge to read mpreg lately? Well, I have! This little fic is dedicated to a handful of people but, I won't mention names 'cause I don't think that's nice, but, I'll just say for my constant and wonderful readers and reviewers, to the people who give me awesome ideas, and to great friends with whom I burn the midnight oil talking to, this is for you.

I'm not a doctor, so don't kill me for my medical explanations. ^_^

I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

--

Shikamaru sleepily blinked his eyes as he heard a toilet flush and turned over to glance at the bedside clock. _'Five forty three.'_ He read as he released a sigh. _'It's almost time.'_ As he sat up in bed and ran his fingers through his now loosened ponytail, he heard slow footsteps shuffling back towards the bed.

He blinked his eyes as a sleepy smile came to rest on his lips, looking at his lover as the older man took carefully measured steps back to his destination, a gentle hand resting on his swollen belly. He could see Neji sigh as he looked at the low mattress and could almost hear his inner lamentations at such a low drop in his state. The Nara sat up on his knees and moved over to where Neji was resting his hands on his belly and opened his arms to older man.

Neji smiled softly at his husband's caring nature, knowing Shikamaru was tired at the early hour. He carefully turned around and felt Shikamaru pressing his chest to his back and the younger's hand on his stomach. He relaxed completely, trusting the Nara to hold his weight, as he did every morning, afternoon, and evening, and waited as Shikamaru lowered them to the bed.

Neji released a breath of relief as he lay on his side, his head on his on the Nara's chest. "Did I wake you?" he asked tiredly.

Shikamaru swept his fingers through Neji's loose hair, marveling at the fact that it became near silk every time his lover was in this condition. "Nah," he said softly as he watched Neji's eyes begin to close. "It's nearly time."

Neji groaned softly, speaking in a mumble. "I should do it today, I really should."

"Shh, just rest."

Shikamaru smiled as he felt Neji press a sleepy kiss to his neck before his breathing evened out. He reached down and touched Neji's swollen stomach, his lips twitching happily as he felt a sharp movement and heard Neji inhale deeply in his sleep. He rubbed the older man's back gently, hoping to alleviate some of the tension there before extracting himself from Neji's grasp to lay on his side further down the bed, facing the elder's pregnant belly.

Several years prior, if one were to tell Nara Shikamaru that his husband would become pregnant and bear his, Shikamaru's, children, the Nara would've promptly called the nearest hospital and scheduled a mental health screening for that person, but, that was exactly what had happened and was happening.

Through a rare genetic mutation, around the age of sixteen, began producing an extreme excess of estrogen. Initially, his doctors told him there was no reason to worry and that his body would correct itself soon, but, gave him a series of oral contraceptives as a precaution. All seemed to be going well over the next several years; Neji completed both high school and university with the highest degrees and academic honors and married his longtime lover.

It was nearly two years into their marriage, Shikamaru being twenty one years old and Neji his senior by a year, when Neji woke up one morning and vomited violently; his small frame convulsing painfully as his body tried to rid itself of a foreign poison.

After a week of watching his husband abandon anything he might be doing to run to the bathroom, Shikamaru had had more than enough. He called their physician.

Neji nearly castrated their doctor when the man came back with his test results, telling the pale eyed man that the oral contraceptives he'd been taking for the past six years did absolutely nothing to combat his growing estrogen levels and that there was a small growth in his lower stomach.

The doctor, now somewhat resigned in his task, told Neji that he'd like him to undergo an x-ray and full body examination at a nearby hospital to look into his mysterious growth and the young man raged. When the pale eyed young man asked the doctor, with obvious fire in his eyes, why _he_ couldn't perform these procedures instead of shipping him off to be poked and prodded at by a curious science community, as though he were some sort of missing link, the doctor looked to Shikamaru for assistance.

--

_Flashback_

"_What?" Neji asked. His voice was void of any emotion as he watched the doctor scribble something down on his chart before entering the information onto his computer._

"_I'm sorry, Neji," the man said solemnly. "But, there's no other way to say it."_

_Shikamaru looked on as Neji's shoulders began to shake and watched with masked interest how his husband would take care of the situation. As much as he wanted to wrap Neji in his arms and tell the older man that this was something they would get through together, and as much as he wanted to demand information from the doctor, he knew his lover would be furious with him for involving himself in something as disturbing as this so soon. He knew Neji would come to him when he needed too._

_Despite the fact that they'd be dating since they were on the cusp of puberty, Neji was still somewhat sheltered in the ways he reacted to certain situations and approached a variety scenarios, and though his love for Shikamaru was greater than anything he knew, he knew there were certain things he had to deal with on his own before he surrendered himself to the loving embrace of the man he now called his husband._

"'_There's no other way to say it'?! Takashi, I swear to __**god**__! That better not be the only think you have to say to me! Jesus Christ."_ _he mumbled to himself. "I have a growth inside of me. __**A growth?!**__"_

_The doctor jumped at the sudden yelling of his patient and turned back around slowly, his tanned face becoming a sickly ashen color as he watched Neji breathe harshly and saw those pale hands clench angrily._

"_Now, Neji" the doctor began, his eyes flickering back to where Shikamaru sat beside the door. "I would like to schedule an x-ray, a full body examination, and order some more blood work to be done." When he saw Neji's nails press into the leather of the examination table, he quickly added. "At the hospital; just tell me when you're free and-"_

"_**The hospital?!**__" Neji cried shrilly. "You…you're going to send me to the hospital to be picked apart by the scientific community?!" Shikamaru picked up his head to watch Neji, he could hear the tremors in his voice and he knew Neji was trying to keep from hyperventilating. "Who…who the fuck am I? John Merrick?!"_

"_Interestingly enough, his name was actually Joseph Mer-"_

"_I don't give a shit what his name was! Why the fuck can't you do the examinations?!"_

_Shikamaru stood up and instantly Neji was looking at him, eyes ablaze in his anger, telling the younger man to stay where he was and Shikamaru released a heavy breath as he watched Neji's chest moving erratically. He could see the doctor looking at him both questioningly and pleadingly. _

_The man stuttered. "Well, I simply-" he cleared his throat. "This growth could be absolutely nothing, Neji, which is why I want these examinations performed. I feel it would be in your best interest to go to the hospital because they're better equipped for these kinds of procedures."_

_Neji's face softened and he looked at the floor for a moment before speaking softly. "Wouldn't it be best if you were there, as my physician?"_

_The man sighed before nodding. "Mmm, yes. I think it would be better, but, I won't be the performing the procedures."_

_Neji nodded before he stopped the movement abruptly and sucked a breath in through his teeth, his hand resting on his stomach as his brow furrowed._

"_What is it?" the doctor asked as he moved to stand beside Neji._

_He shook his head slowly before holding out his hand. "Shikamaru," he called softly and the Nara was there in an instant, rubbing the small of Neji's back soothingly._

"_You ok?" he asked softly and when he saw Neji shake his head once more, his eyes widened a bit. "Move," he told the doctor and the man moved slowly as Shikamaru lifted Neji off the table by his waist before setting him down and picking him up once more from behind. _

_This doctor's office was set up like any other; an examination table against the windows, a scale in the corner with an ear thermometer, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope hanging from the wall above it, a long counter with a sink, a box of tissues, an infant scale, and the doctor's computer. Above that, a row of cabinets with various medications within and drawings by small children on the outside._

_Just as he crossed the room and put Neji on his feet, the smaller man lunged at the small sink in the counter and vomited harshly. He held Neji's long hair back and glanced over his shoulder at the doctor as he spoke. _

"_I want those procedures happening __**tonight**__."_

_End Flashback_

--

Over the next several days, both Shikamaru and Neji were on edge. The older man's vomiting hadn't decreased any and he became tired at the simplest of activities; there were mornings Shikamaru would watch Neji make their bed and immediately need to rest from it. He was worried and anxious and though his mind kept listing the possibilities, he kept telling himself that the most likely cause for Neji's abnormal behavior was impossible.

When at long last they received the results of Neji's tests and a long explanation of his condition and it's cause, the older man fainted.

They learned that Neji had so much estrogen in his body, that it all needed a place to come together and had formed into a small, womb-like pouch and because of this, Neji was able to become pregnant. Because of this addition to his body, another could be found between his legs. In between his testicles and anus, a small hole had grown over several years as a means for the possible life within him to exit when the time came.

And then Neji learned of the life growing within him.

As soon as he was in the car, Neji started crying, bawling, wailing and for what, he did not know. He wanted Shikamaru to pick him up in those strong arms and protect him from the horrors he heard, he wanted to hide and bury himself within the younger man, and the moment the Shikamaru took the key from the ignition, Neji lunged across the seats and clung to his husband, hiding his face in Shikamaru's neck as he sobbed brokenly. He felt arms encircling him as the younger man made soft, shushing sounds, trying to calm his torrent of tears, but, those sounds and softly spoken words didn't ease his heartache any and his tears continued to come until late that evening.

Shikamaru had never seen Neji cry so hard for so long and he was a bit concerned by the older man's hysterics. They'd always said they wanted children and planned to adopt several years down the line; Neji loved children, however, Shikamaru could see the prospect of carrying a child resembled slow torture to his husband's fragile mind and body.

Neji would never consider abortion; he didn't believe in it. Of course, there were situations where he could understand the _want _or logical explanations for considering an abortion; being unable to support a child financially, bringing a child into an already impoverished household, or bringing a life into home where one knew abuse could become present or was already present, were all good reason to end a life before it began, however, they didn't have those problems and Neji would not throw away something as precious as a life; not if he could help it.

It was around eight in the evening when Neji stopped finally stopped crying. His eyes had run dry from all his crying and they burned terribly. He'd watched as Shikamaru entered the room, his eyes emitting quiet concern. He could see the uncertainty in the younger man's eyes and all of a sudden, he wanted nothing more than to cry once more and he knew Shikamaru saw his inner anguish when the younger man crossed the floor and pulled Neji into his arms.

It was hours later after Neji released a handful of quiet whimpers that Shikamaru asked him to disrobe and the older man nearly shook his head, afraid of what his lover may find but when Shikamaru gently cupped his cheek and told him how dearly he loved him, Neji knew it would be alright.

As he lay back on the bed, he felt Shikamaru's hands on his knees, trying to part his clenched thighs and slowly, he opened them. He gasped as Shikamaru pulled him forward by his hips and felt his heart stop at his husband's quiet intake of breath.

Shikamaru slowly let Neji's legs go and sat up, his expression shocked and in that moment, Neji felt his heart break; he was utterly disgusted with himself. He wrapped the covers around his body before running into the bathroom and locking the door as his sobs started once more. How could he let Shikamaru look? How could he allow his husband to see the deformed monster he was becoming?

It was a moment later when he heard heavy knocks and demands that he open the door and through his sobs, he could hardly voice his refusal. He listened to Shikamaru's apology for frightening him and the Nara's lamentation of how he could've missed the tiny hole that was slowly developing, despite the minuscule size of the hole at that point in time.

Neji sniffled a bit as he opened the door and allowed himself to be held in that protective embrace once more, clinging to the younger man as though his life, like his sanity, depended on him.

They got through every hardship together and Neji was never more thankful to have a husband as patient and loving as Shikamaru because he knew he couldn't have made it on his own.

Now, as Shikamaru lay in bed beside Neji's sleeping figure, rubbing a hand over his distended stomach, he could hear soft cries coming from down the hall and he smiled faintly at the noise. He pressed his lips to Neji's belly button and dragged himself out of bed.

It was just a little after six, but, every morning, around the same time, soft cries could be heard coming from a bedroom in their modest, three bedroom apartment. The cries weren't as loud or obtrusive as they used to be and though one would think they would grow in intensity as the child aged, they hadn't; they were simply soft cries to alert one to the needs of a child.

The room was painted a pale blue and had blotches of white in various, although random, places. The Nara heard the cries hush as the door creaked open and light from the hallway spilled into the room and onto the child in the crib. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile at his son as the boy pulled himself up by the bar of the crib and bounced on unsteady legs, looking at him with what appeared to be a frown on his tiny face.

"Pa!" the child said loudly and Shikamaru turned on the light by the door before continuing on to the crib. He looked down at the little boy and smiled at his button nose, tan skin, and long, silky dark hair.

"Shh," he hushed the child as he ran gentle hand through the child's silky locks. "Quiet, Michi-chan; you don't want to wake your mommy, do you?"

He watched that little face contort and knew an onslaught of tears were about to come. He quickly lifted the child into his arms and shushed him as he rocked the tiny body in his arms soothingly.

It was only when Neji entered his sixth month that the three of them stopped sleeping in the same bed and really put Michi's bed into use and it was obvious how the child felt about. For the first week, he would cry when night fell and he was placed into the room that held his crib, alone, the room that'd been his all along and Neji felt terrible for it. However, as bad as he felt, Neji's stomach was growing too large for him to hold his baby comfortably in his arms with his husband and after several months of ignoring its existence, they began to use the crib.

Shikamaru sat down in the chair in the room and hushed his son. He lifted the child in the air, watching as his tears fell before pressing his mouth to a wet cheek and blowing, the result was a loud air bubbling sound which caused the child to laugh.

His skin was the same as the man who fathered him, a creamy mocha tint and he had a distinctive, Nara nose; perfectly straight and strong, but small. Despite his thirteen months, his hair was long and flowed down to the middle of his back, something he'd obviously inherited from Neji but the color was closer to that of Shikamaru's and then there were those gorgeous eyes. They were sharp, showing deep levels of intelligence and more than that, they were a pale, pale, milky brown; a gift from both of his parents. They greatly resembled Neji's in their opalescent appearance, giving the impression that they were white at first glance, however, when one took the time to look, it could easily be seen that they were a faintly, light brown color.

Shikamaru settled Michi back in his arms and watched as his child rubbed his face against his shirt and laid his head down against his chest. When he went to stand, he heard a soft cry and looked down into arms to find the boy smiling up at him. He shifted Michi in his arms and slipped a finger into the front his diaper before raising a brow.

"Well, you're not wet; are you hungry?"

The boy smiled and cooed happily, clapping his tiny hands. "Ma!"

Shikamaru chuckled at the child's enthusiasm and rubbed his check against his son's.

After Neji came to terms with the fact that he'd be bringing a human being into the world, he became quite content in his task; there were days when Shikamaru would come home and find Neji simply sitting on the couch rubbing his hands over his pregnant belly and Nara couldn't help but smile at the sight. After Neji had become completely immersed in the thought that he would a parent, and became content with that thought, Shikamaru had taken to teasing him by calling him 'mommy' and other variations of the word. Initially, the older man squawked and berated his husband for belittling him, but, eventually he let it go, assuming it would do no harm. However, at seven months, when Michi first began his vocalizations, to the surprise and joy of both of his parents, Neji's jaw dropped when the first, understandable, word he said was 'Pa', quickly followed by 'Ma'.

Although their child had been speaking for nearly seven months, his sentence structure was poor and it was obvious that frustration came easily, so he was very resigned to simply pointing and crying; something Neji attributed to Shikamaru's lazy nature.

"Shh," Shikamaru hushed him with a laugh. "Mommy's sleeping."

"_Ma!_"

Shikamaru winced as the bundle in his arms squirmed restlessly and continued screeching. "Shh, shh. Michi, Michi-chan, listen to papa, shh, it's ok." He sat down on the floor and leaned against the chair in which he'd been sitting before settling the boy on the floor before him. "Mommy's sleeping, so you have to be a big boy and let daddy feed you."

Michi frowned as he pushed himself up on shaky legs and Shikamaru watched with unmasked pride as his boy walked the two steps to him and collapsed in his lap.

"Food!"

Shikamaru smiled softly as he stood with his son in his arms before quickly walking into the kitchen and opening the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle already filled with breast milk. He put the bottle in the microwave for a few seconds, just to take the chill off, before settling down in a chair and handing the bottle to his son.

It was during times like this that Shikamaru didn't mind waking before dawn and moving more than he would've considered necessary in any other situation because it was necessary; anything and everything he did for his child was an absolute necessity. It was during times like this that Shikamaru knew his life had an absolute purpose, one he didn't know existed until the first time he held that purpose in his arms.

His love for Neji was as deep as love could flow, always looking for regions to delve deeper, but this precious gift he held in his arms that was a combination of he and whom he loved most, sparked a whole new sense of joy within him. Knowing this child would forever contain both his love and himself, made Shikamaru love him the moment he learned of his existence.

'_They're all I need.'_

--

End chapter I

This story will probably be about three chapters long and will be updated when I feel like it….not really following schedule, just for when I need a break but I like it so, it might be done soon.

Shika and Neji's baby is _very_ advanced for 13 months but with his parents, is it really expected? And NOTICE I never ONCE mentioned Neji's last name. *wink* I didn't know what to make it, haha.

Oh! I'm prochoice! If you're pregnant choose what you wanna do to your body.

So, my loves, how was it?

Reviews are greatly appreciated.

torib0o(10/03/09)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yeah, this chapter has been rolling around in my head and I'm liking how it sounds, so, I'll just get down to it. I'm incredibly sorry for the wait.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Shikamaru yawned widely from his place in Michi's room later that morning. He was sitting in the same arm chair he'd been in earlier that day when he felt sunlight warming his face. It was just going on two hours from when he'd woken up to feed his son, but looking at small owl clock on the table, he knew it was time to wake his family.

He ran his hand over his face, pulling it back through his hair to pull out the elastic band that loosely bound his locks. As he stood, he heard a happy cooing and couldn't help but smile as he looked into the familiar eyes of his son as the child tried to cover his eyes fitfully.

"Up so early, Michi-chan," Shikamaru said softly as he leaned on the railing of the crib.

Michi rubbed his eyes a bit more before cautiously pulling them away. He looked to where his father was shielding him from the sun and smiled before laying back down, and Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, no you don't, mister." He put his hands underneath the boy's armpits and lifted him into his arms. "It's a busy day today and you have to be awake for most of it." When the boy whined, Shikamaru couldn't help but grunt softly. "I know, troublesome."

* * *

"Now, we're going to fix breakfast for mommy because he's eating for more than one."

"Baby!"

"That's right." Shikamaru sat Michi in his highchair before collecting the eggs, milk, butter, and bacon from the refrigerator placing them beside the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda already mixed in a large bowl.

As ridiculous as it may have sounded, Shikamaru couldn't deny that he enjoyed a conversation with Michi; the boy was bright, perceptive, and downright entertaining. Aside from that, he couldn't say he didn't believe holding conversations with the toddler would help broaden his vocabulary.

As he mixed everything together and poured the first pancake, he picked up the unopened package of bacon and sighed.

"Michi, look at this; what's this?" He held up the yellow package and watched as his son studied it.

The boy scrunched his face for a moment before pointing. "Yewwo bad."

"That's right, Michi the yellow is bad; what's good?"

"Red!"

"And what else?"

"Bue!"

"That's right, blue; say it with me, '_blue'_." He enunciated the word, trying to make sure his son could understand it properly.

He could see the boy mulling it over in his head before grinning. "Bue!"

He smiled a bit wearily. "They can't all be winners." Shikamaru leaned down and pressed a kiss to Michi's forehead, the child squealing joyously from the action.

In their relationship, neither Neji nor Shikamaru were particularly big fans of bacon; it was salty, greasy, and the smell lingered on for hours. However, somehow, without fail, during each of Neji's pregnancies, the older man had such a powerful craving for bacon that Shikamaru could not deny him. _'Well, I could…..if I wanted to lose a limb.'_ He'd gone with the bacon kick during Neji's pregnancy with Michi, so long as it was lean bacon and Neji had grudgingly agreed, but it appeared as though the agreement had only been pertinent the first time because now it seemed as though every trip to the grocery store was a small battle.

Michi had understood long ago, much to Shikamaru's amusement and Neji's disdain, that whatever was in the thin, yellow packages were bad for his mommy and the contents of the blue or red packages were much better for him.

Shikamaru released a deep breath as he put the bacon in the refrigerator before turning back to the stove and cracking a couple of eggs. He took the pancakes out of the pan before pouring three more.

"Michi," he called over his shoulder as he poured a small amount of apple juice into a bottle. "Where's the bacon?"

The boy looked up as he was handed his bottle and smiled. "No bacon."

* * *

Neji sighed softly as he felt fingers raking through his hair and pressed his face further into pillow. He was just on the verge of waking and was clinging to the final ties of sleep. His pregnancy made him tired, more so than he'd ever been with Michi, but then again, the circumstances weren't exactly the same. As he felt tiny hands rubbing his belly through his soft sleep shirt, Neji blearily opened his eyes and found himself looking at two tiny feet.

As he looked down, he found Michi rubbing his belly as he pressed his ear to it, as though he could hear something and Neji couldn't help but smile. After a minute went by, he could feel himself drifting off once more until he felt a tiny kiss on his stomach and looked down once more, his heart swelling as listened to Michi's soft mussing and hushed whispers to his stomach.

Neji smiled as he curled his lips over his teeth before grabbing one of those tiny toes resting by his face into his mouth and grinned at the loud, surprised squeal his son released.

"Ma!"

Neji could only smile as he released the boy's appendage and watched as he scampered up the bed to press his forehead against Neji's cheek. He sighed; it was always so difficult for him to bring himself upward once he was laying or sitting down without a surface on which to brace himself.

He gently nudged Michi's forehead before rolling onto his back and pushing himself up by his elbows, the short action causing him to draw a deep breath. He'd taken on so much weight with this pregnancy and even the smallest things required an obscene amount of effort. He tried to pull himself up for a moment longer before he opened his mouth to call Shikamaru, though he needn't do it because the younger man was already there.

There were few things Shikamaru enjoyed more than watching his husband and son interact. He couldn't keep the ridiculous smile off his face as he watched Michi pet Neji's stomach, whispering and pressing tender kisses to the special gift within his mommy. He watched in interest when Neji rolled to his back and tried to push himself up, wondering if the older man would call out for him.

He placed a hand between Neji's shoulder blades and gave his other to the man to hold as he pulled him up.

Neji gripped Shikamaru's hand, using it to support himself and sighed out a breath of relief at finally being upright before looking down at his lower thighs where twenty pounds of toddler had quickly settled, nuzzling his belly once more. He ran his fingers through Michi's silky hair as he felt Shikamaru press a kiss to his cheek.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "morning breath."

Neji only smirked as he cupped Shikamaru's cheek, turning the younger man back to him and pressing their lips together in a powerful kiss that remained chaste. As they parted Neji couldn't help his soft, panted breaths.

"We're both going to need that to get through the day."

Shikamaru only nodded as he pressed his forehead to the side of Neji's head and kissed the older man's cheek once more. "And more than that."

Neji gave a quiet laugh as he slapped at Shikamaru's shoulder, but inwardly, he knew that the younger man was absolutely right. Neji had just entered what the doctor thought was his eight month, his thirty second week, and at such a time, his doctor had set up an appointment for him to have a sonogram to determine his soon be newborns' weight. Neji was just a bit apprehensive, but he knew he was eating and exercising properly, so his problems should be nil to none. However, if his sonogram was the only thing he had planned, Neji knew his apprehension would be tinged with excitement, but after considering the rest of his day, all he could feel was worry and nausea bubbling in his stomach.

His uncle called a week prior, subtly complaining of Neji's absence from weekly family dinners and other such activities and Shikamaru only shook his head and laughed at Neji's lamentation of visiting his family. Even before Neji left his family's home and moved into a small apartment with Shikamaru when he began college six years prior, the pale eyed man had stopped going to his family's gatherings and Neji was aware that no one cared about his absence because he wasn't the only one who stopped going; although, no one could mention Hiashi's absence, it was simply inappropriate. No, although he may not have minded seeing him, it was not really Neji who Hiashi wanted to see.

After coming to terms with the fact that the only child of his brother was giving birth, Hiashi kept his distance from the young man, slowly collecting himself and determining the best way to interact with his nephew, but when Shikamaru called him on that cold September night a year prior, frantically explaining that Neji was going into labor, every thought that didn't concern the wellbeing of his nephew left his mind.

Neji's had been in labor for well over twelve hours and Hiashi could admit that he was worried for the young man, hearing his screams of pain as he sat outside the delivery room. However, just as the clock was passing on that thirteenth hour and Neji was cleaned up and moved to a private room, the man was finally allowed to see his nephew.

He hadn't been able to keep the joy from his countenance when he saw his nephew's tired, happy smile as he cradled a small blanket of blue in his arms, Shikamaru sitting at his side grinning widely. He'd never seen Neji looking so exhausted in his life, but Hiashi was sure the younger man hadn't ever _been_ so exhausted.

* * *

_Flashback_

_As Hiashi entered the hospital room, he couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. Pillows stacked high behind his back in soft flannel pajamas, Neji sat upright, holding a small blue blanket in his arms, his husband at his side. Hiashi hadn't seen Neji this happy since the day he married the Nara and even now, amidst the overwhelmingly, tangible excitement and joy in the air, there was also something soothingly comfortable about it all. He watched as Neji's legs shifted beneath a thick blanket that had obviously been brought from their home as Shikamaru pressed his forehead against Neji's and kissed the older man's nose before whispering in his ear and it was then that Neji looked up and locked eyes with the man._

_Initially, in his eyes, Hiashi could only see worry, but then he saw the gears in Neji's mind turning as he took in Hiashi's own apprehensive smile and the box in his hands, wrapped in yellow paper. And then, Neji smiled and Hiashi couldn't help but release a breath of relief. Closing the door behind him and placing the box on a nearby table, he slowly made his way into the room to stand on the opposite side of the bed of Shikamaru._

_"Uncle," Neji said softly, his voice hoarse, "there is someone I would like you to meet."_

_He gazed down into Neji's arms at the small child and felt a tear come to his eye at the happy glow his nephew exuded. At the moment, the boy in Neji's arms was pale and his hair was boarding on a deep burgundy color, though already it was plentiful considering he was a newborn. He watched as that tiny mouth opened in a wide yawn before eyes opened and blinked sleepily and Hiashi couldn't help the swelling of his heart at those pale eyes that would grow to be familiar, knowing it was not in Neji's control that the child receive such a trait; however, he was glad at the same time. The child regarded him with an almost bored, expectant expression before closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep._

_"This is Michi," Neji whispered, his voice breaking with happy emotion. "Our son."_

_Hiashi nodded as he drew Neji's head to his chest, allowing the young man to sob happily before he collected himself and looked back to the life in his arms._

_"Neji," Hiashi began as he watched Shikamaru sit down in a chair at Neji's bedside from the corner of his eye. "Your father would be so proud of you right now."_

_"Uncle…"_

_"Because I know I am." He watched as Neji smiled and his eyes welled with tears once more. "May I…" he cleared his throat. "May I hold my nephew?"_

_Neji grinned, even as tears rolled down his cheeks, when his uncle sat beside him and held out his arms. He gently placed his son in Hiashi's arm, and he almost thought his heart would burst with the utter joy he felt, watching the adoring way Hiashi looked at Michi, pressing a soft kiss to the boy's forehead. _

_"Michi," Hiashi said, his voice thick with emotion, "is a good name, a strong name."_

_End Flashback_

_

* * *

_

It was obvious, even then, that Hiashi was one of Michi's biggest fans and though their meetings were sparse, it could be clearly seen that Michi was quite fond of Hiashi as well. Neji let a smile cross his lips at the thought of Michi's excitement when seeing his pale eyed relatives, but at the thought of his entire family, he nearly frowned. Although Hiashi, Hinata, and Hanabi loved Michi a great deal, not everyone in his family was as accepting of his child and it made his heart ache to think it. Subconsciously, he placed a protective hand on his stomach and jolted when he felt Shikamaru's covering it.

"Stop thinking about it; everything will be fine."

Neji could only nod jerkily at his husband's statement, hoping the younger man would be right.

He gasped as he felt a weight on his belly and looked down to where Michi was pulling himself up by his shirt, squealing when Shikamaru gently plucked him up by his ribs and placed him at Neji's side.

"Mommy!"

Neji smiled as he felt Michi wetly kissing his cheek and rolled onto his side, opening his arms for Michi to snuggle into. He could hear Michi softly saying his name, knowing the child wasn't really calling him as much as affirming his joy of being held by Neji.

"Alright," Shikamaru said as he released a breath. "Are we having breakfast here or in the kitchen?

Neji rolled to his back awkwardly and pushed himself up, Michi sitting up to lean against his side almost immediately. "In the kitchen; I need to walk around a bit."

* * *

As Neji sat at the small table in their kitchen, he couldn't help but smile as he watched Shikamaru work his way around the kitchen. Neji never mentioned his increasing fatigue or how much it bothered him to stand for long periods of time, but somewhere along the course of time, it shifted from both of them doing household chores to the Nara taking on the great majority of the tasks. The Hyuuga rolled his eyes at the thought, he knew if he could, Shikamaru would do _all_ of what needed to be done, but left the simplest of tasks for Neji to do just so he could keep himself occupied and not feel as though he was an invalid.

He watched as Shikamaru set Michi in his highchair before locking the tray into place and placing a small plate in front of the boy. His heart warmed as he watched Michi look questioningly to Shikamaru before the elder Nara bent down to their son's level and picked up a piece of pancake, placing it into his own mouth, chewing slowly.

"Eat," Shikamaru said simply, smiling proudly as Michi mimicked his action.

Shikamaru turned back to the stove, fixing Neji's plate and then his own before setting them down on the table. He turned back around to pour himself a cup of coffee and Neji a glass of apple juice as well as, picking up the elder's various vitamins before sitting down. He slid Neji his pills and juice before he began eating, stopping when he realized the older man was staring at his plate somewhat forlornly.

"What's the matter?"

Neji looked up his husband, pouting despondently as he poked at the sausage on his plate. "Where's my bacon?"

* * *

Neji entered the bedroom from the bathroom at the same time Shikamaru entered from the hall, carrying a whining Michi in his arms. Slowly, he moved towards the bed, beckoning his husband with his hand.

"Kneel down," he told his husband and at the questioning look he received, he raised a brow. "And hold Michi up."

Shikamaru restrained a scoff and did as he was told, kneeling at Neji's feet. Because their bed was so low to the ground, he wasn't far from his husband, however he was unable to sit with his behind to the floor, so, he sat raised on his knees. He held Michi to his chest, though the boy was facing the opposite direction, slipping one of his arms beneath the boy's thighs, the other around his midsection, so it appeared he was sitting on his father's chest. He smiled as Neji leaned down and lightly pressed his forehead to his son's.

"Hey, now," he said softly. "Why are you crying?"

Michi rubbed at his eyes as he opened them before reaching out to Neji, squirming wildly in his father's arms.

"Shh," Neji hushed him, rubbing his cheek against his child's. "Open your eyes, o-_pen_." Lately, they were stressing the pronunciations of the words they spoke to allow Michi to hear and hopefully, say the words properly. Neji took Michi's tiny hands in his own and placed them on his stomach. "You're going to be a big brother soon, Michi; I can't always hold you, sweetheart."

Michi placed his head on Neji's stomach, rubbing his face against the towel wrapped around the man. "Ma," he whined sadly and Neji simply sighed as he ran his fingers through Michi's hair before stopping and fixing Shikamaru with a hard look.

"Did you wash his hair when you bathed him?"

"Mmm?" The younger man yawned widely, and Neji couldn't help but shake his head.

"Shikamaru, it's thirty degrees outside, he can't go out with his hair damp; it'll freeze and he'll catch a cold."

He pushed himself up, dropping the towel as he went to get dressed. In all honesty, it hadn't been hard for Neji to find maternity clothes that weren't feminine; t-shirts, button downs, jeans, shorts, and slacks were all easy to come by in plain, neutral colors which suited the pale eyed man just fine. Against his better judgment, he slipped on a pair of boxer briefs before pulling out a pair of jeans with elastic in the waist and a button down shirt. Usually, he didn't wear underwear because he found it difficult to pull them back up after using the bathroom, unable to reach past the bulge of his stomach.

Aside from _being_ pregnant, there were certain things about the entire process that Neji found wholly emasculating. He now needed to sit down to use the bathroom, no matter what he was doing. With Michi, it had been difficult; however, he'd been able to hold himself when using the bathroom, but now he couldn't get his arms to reach far enough beneath the swell of his stomach for the life of him; it wasn't a problem when he was home because at home there was no need for shame, though in public restrooms, which he'd frequented in the past twenty one months, he couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed in his state.

Neji had never been one to let his gender define him or anything he chose to do; it simply was not the way he thought about things, however at the current point in his life, he couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed of himself for judging himself on a scale of what was or was not 'fit' for a man, especially after birthing a child. Of course Shikamaru knew of his insecurities and they'd worked through them extensively, though they knew Neji's anxieties would calm when his pregnancy was over; they'd never be gone completely, but they wouldn't be as prominent as they were at certain times now.

Neji left his shirt unbuttoned as he waddled back to his bed and sat down, pushing himself to the center of the bed and sitting crossing his legs.

"Give me my baby," Neji said with a smirk, patting the spot between his legs. "And bring me a towel, Michi's brush, and the blow dryer."

* * *

Neji placed a hat atop Michi's head and after removing a gloved hand from the toddler's mouth for the third time, he slipped a pacifier between the child's lips. Sitting back a bit, Neji couldn't help simply watching his son and marveling at the strong resemblance of both himself and Shikamaru and the thought made his heart beat strongly.

"Michi, come here so I can put your coat on," he called and smiled when the child's alert eyes fell on him before Michi was sat in front of him. "You look just like your daddy right now," Neji said softly, as he watched Michi study his jacket before putting it on himself. It was true though, with his hair bound at the base of his head in a low ponytail, his forest green shirt bearing the Nara symbol and brown overalls with the blank expression, Michi looked quite similar to Shikamaru.

"Ok, I've got the baby bag stocked with diapers, crackers, milk, juice and water, anything I'm missing?" Shikamaru spoke as he continued to walk opening the front door. "We have to leave now if we're going to be on time for your appointment."

Neji laughed softly as Shikamaru continued to prattle on about their schedule, and as his husband exited the door, Neji called out him, "Shikamaru."

"What is it, babe?" he asked as he picked Michi up, balancing him on hip as he made sure the boy's hat was on securely.

"Your shoes."

Shikamaru stilled in his motions and looked down at his socked feet before rolling his eyes and handing Michi to Neji.

"Shoes."

* * *

The ride to the obstetrician was swift and Neji, the punctual man that he was, was extremely pleased to find that they weren't late for their appointment and the doctor was waiting for them. Usually, an ultrasound technician would perform the procedure, but Neji was extremely adamant about having a physician examine him and in his state, Shikamaru made sure Neji got everything he wanted.

Though the table was low, Shikamaru was by Neji's side, helping him up and getting him into a comfortable position before placing Michi at Neji's side and unbuttoning the older man's shirt and the buttons atop his jeans. He'd just finished settling Neji when the doctor walked into the room with a wide smile.

"Hello, Nara family!" The man greeted brightly, much to Michi's delight, the toddler clapping his hands joyously. The doctor leaned a bit across the examination table and Neji's stomach to smile at Michi. "Hello, little one; how are you?"

Michi simply giggled, holding onto Shikamaru's hand as he watched the doctor make silly faces at him before the man stood up and addressed Neji.

"And how are you, Neji?" the doctor asked as he sat down on a rolling chair and pulled on a pair of gloves.

Neji winced as cold, thick gel was squirted on to his stomach. "I'm doing well, thank you, Doctor Isaka," he said as the man moved the transducer around on his stomach, moving the gel as wavy images appeared on the monitor. "I'm more than ready for all this to be over though." He said with a laugh. "Backaches."

The man laughed along with Neji. "My wife complained about her sore back and feet during all of her pregnancies."

Neji smiled. He'd never had to worry about his feet aching; Shikamaru was quite good at foot massages, but, that wasn't something Neji would share with the general public. He simply shrugged his shoulders as he smiled happily at the thought of his caring lover.

"Oh! Look at this," Doctor Isaka said as he pointed to the screen. "Look at those little fingers and toes."

Neji smiled, feeling his blood race through his veins as anxiety constricted his heart. "Is…..are they…" To voice the question, to even think of it caused nausea to swirl in his stomach, but he had to know and the question needed to be asked.

With Michi, he'd worried constantly of his son's possible birth defects and every day, he thanked whichever deity had been so kind as to watch over them, but this was different. His second pregnancy filled him with inexplicable worry and with circumstances differing from his first, he wasn't sure if his heart would last throughout the pregnancy. He prayed everyday that things would turn out well and during each of his ultrasounds, he would ask the doctor if any defects or abnormalities were visible or apparent and each time the doctor replied the same way, calming Neji's frantic heart.

He felt Shikamaru's hand slip into his own, squeezing firmly.

"These things are never completely accurate, Neji you know that." And he couldn't help but blush, knowing that he had indeed read story after story of how women were told their children were fine only to find at the time of birth that their child was missing an arm, hand, or fingers. "As far as I can see, everything is fine."

Neji nodded, smiling when he felt Shikamaru's lips on his forehead. He squeezed his husband's hand as the doctor tapped at the keyboard and moved the transducer around on his stomach before speaking once more.

"We've got weight measurements!" the doctor exclaimed happily and Neji watched him with happily expectant eyes. "Let's see, we've got four pounds, eight ounces; quite healthy. Very good." Doctor Isaka said as he scrolled down the page. "And, four pounds, twelve ounces; both very good!" he smiled. "Now, how about a couple of print outs?"

* * *

Neji nervously held his hands to his stomach as Shikamaru parked their car and came around to help him out. Looking up as the younger man opened the door; he couldn't restrain one of the many sighs that'd been escaping him since they'd left the doctor's office.

Despite Shikamaru's continuous insistence that they visit Neji's family's home, the elder man had been adamant in his refusal, stating he had no business with his family nor needed to see them and while these things were true, they were only part of the reason why he didn't want to go and the other was staring surreptitiously at Neji's family from an upstairs window as they made their way up the front walk.

Hanabi was the first out of the house, squealing as her eyes fell on Michi, immediately reaching out to hold the baby. Neji chuckled as Shikamaru tried not to fuss over the way the girl held their son and simply patted his arm when the Nara sucked his teeth and mumbled a soft, "Troublesome".

Hinata quickly followed her younger sister out, cooing at the child and remarking on how beautiful he was and Neji could only smile and shrug his shoulders as Shikamaru nodded affirmatively, saying the boy got his good looks from Neji, despite how much he resembled the two of them.

Commenting on how chilly the weather was turning, Hinata led them inside where Hiashi stood with his arms crossed over his chest, looking down over their group appraisingly. Neji returned his gaze evenly and when his uncle smirked, he couldn't help but smile and nod at the man, laughing aloud when Michi reached out to the man with a wide smile.

The five of them rested in the sitting room, passing Michi around and playing with him as they spoke of Hanabi's upcoming graduation from high school, Hinata's engagement to Kankuro, and Neji's due date, the pregnant man commenting that it was coming far too soon for his liking to which they chuckled and shook their heads. Hanabi sat at Neji's side, gazing at him adoringly and asking what he would name the new baby. Neji and Shikamaru decided to keep it to themselves that they were expecting twins for a certain reason and with soft sounds of a cane hitting hardwood flooring, that reason made himself known.

Neji sucked a breath in through his teeth and cringed while placing a protective hand to his stomach as he heard a throat being cleared and he gave a weak, thankful smile as Hanabi and Shikamaru slid their hands into his.

"I see I was not invited to this gathering."

Hanabi turned around and smiled brightly at the elderly man, though it did not reach her eyes. "Good afternoon, grandfather," she greeted. "How are you to-"

"I was not speaking to, Hanabi," he said coldly, eyes trained on the back of the Neji's head and the pregnant man shivered against his will.

The sound of his grandfather's cane tapping against the floors rang in Neji's hairs, mixing with the echoing of his pounding heart. He shut his eyes and steeled his nerves as the sound of the cane hitting the marble flooring of the hallways turned to a gentle thump when it hit the polished hardwood of the living room. He could feel Shikamaru's hand tightening against his sweating palm and he could only nudge his knee to his husband's and give the man a weak smile.

As the man moved to stand before them, Neji looked up, noticing the silence in the room and suddenly felt anxiousness creeping in his bones as he looked the elderly man in the eyes.

"Grandfather," he said, inclining his head a bit and the man scoffed.

"Can you not stand to bow before me?" the man spat. "Insolent child."

Neji gritted his teeth as he felt Shikamaru tense beside him. "My apologizes, grandfather; it is a bit difficult for me to move around so much at the moment."

"You mean with you in the state you're in."

"With the state I'm in," Neji whispered, his head lowered. "Yes, I suppose that is what I meant," he said and winced as he heard Michi cry out, a confused expression on the toddler's face.

He watched as Hiashi shifted the child in his arms and tried to soothe him, though the child continued to cry and reach out for either of his parents until Shikamaru picked him up and sat back down beside Neji, the child reaching over to rub his cheek to Neji's arm. Neji smiled gently and allowed the boy to hold his hand, trying to ignore his grandfather's scowl.

"I see you've decided to keep your heathen," the man said and Neji couldn't react quickly enough to try to restrain Shikamaru.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he spat and Neji looked at him with wide eyes. "I don't care how important you think you are, but I won't sit here and let you insult my family."

"Shikamaru-"

"No," the Nara said, his voice low, authoritative. "How can you sit there and insult an infant? He's your great-grandson, your family and you should be happy you've lived long enough to see this day, but you'd rather question how he was brought into this world," he shook his head as he held his son close. "I'll be in the car," he mumbled before leaving the house.

Neji didn't raise his head as Shikamaru left; he was far too embarrassed. If there hadn't been medical evidence proving it, Neji was sure he would not believe that he was related to the elderly man sitting across from him.

Throughout his life, Neji's grandfather had been his greatest motivator. Not because the man was encouraging or kind, but because he was judgmental and critical and Neji longed to prove him wrong. He'd maintained top grades in school and was valedictorian in every educational opportunity, going to so far as to finish university early and with honors, though his grandfather never had anything more for Neji's ears than disparaging remarks.

Feeling a tightening around his own hand, Neji looked to where Hanabi sat, her brow downturned in a frown as she looked at their father, and Neji noticed that the elderly man hadn't moved from his spot, his head still held high despite Shikamaru's words.

"Are you going to let that beast of a man speak to me in such a way, Neji? Honestly, I warned you about marrying beneath yourself; do you see how disrespectful he is to your family?"

"You are not my family."

Neji could feel the eyes of his uncle, cousins, and grandfather on him, though he was not afraid to speak his mind, to say the things he'd longed to say for far too many years. He placed a hand on the arm of the couch, pulling himself up with a bit of effort and help from Hanabi.

"You are not my family, nor have you ever been my family. The same blood runs through our veins through no fault or desire of either of us," he spoke quietly, though his voice was strong and controlled. "You have no place in my life, Hyuuga Hikaru; you have disrespected not only me, but my husband and my child, and I have no need for such negativity in my life."

He'd walked quietly from the living room, through the foyer, and to the front door when he felt a hand grip his shoulder and he tensed for a moment before turning around and relaxing at the sight of Hiashi standing behind him, a small, kind smile on his uncle's lips.

"I am very proud of you for the things you have said to your grandfather, Neji," he said softly, squeezing his nephew's shoulder. "I am proud of both you and Shikamaru. You've done well for Michi today."

Surprised by Hiashi's show of kindness, Neji smiled slowly. While it was true that their relationship had slowly been getting better over the years, he would not have expected his uncle to feel pride for him for, more or less, telling off his grandfather.

"Thank you, uncle," he whispered.

Hiashi smiled and held his hand toward the door in a dismissive manner. "Do not thank me; you've only done what you felt needed to be done. Now, I believe you have someone waiting to see you."

Nodding, Neji opened the door and was greeted with the of the sight of Shikamaru sitting on the staircase, holding Michi in his arms, the child looking up at the squeaking noise of the door opening.

"Ma!"

At the boy's happy noise, Shikamaru looked over his shoulder and arched a brow and Neji smiled weakly as he stepped out of the house, placing a hand atop his husband's head. Standing in his position, Shikamaru continued to stare up at him before placing his own hand atop Neji's and smiling gently.

There were unspoken words between them, ones that never needed to be said but could be understood through simple touches and looks, and Neji was more than thankful to have Shikamaru at his side. The younger man could read him and knew him better than he knew himself at times and gave him the push to do things that he would avoid, would lift him when he wasn't strong enough to stand on his own. Nara Shikamaru was his rock and despite never asking for him to be such, the Nara accepted his position in Neji's life without complaint or comment and the thought caused a swell in Neji's unstable emotions and tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

"What's the matter?" Shikamaru asked, standing up quickly and placing a hand on his husband's arm, carefully balancing Michi on his hip.

Shaking his head a bit, Neji leaned in to kiss the younger man, a happy laugh escaping him through his tears. "Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life."

And Shikamaru simply smiled as he returned the kiss and placed a hand on Neji's lower back before leading the man to their car, never noticing the smirking figure in the downstairs window of the Hyuuga home, nor the gentle shifting of curtains as they fell back into place.

* * *

"Shikamaru, you lazy boy, why are you always late to family dinners? You know I always have everything ready at-"

Shikamaru hadn't even opened the door to his car when he heard his mother berating him once again on being late for their bimonthly family dinner. The same speech was recited each time he went to his parents' home, therefore he already knew what to say to his mother to appease her and have a certain level of silence during his time there.

The ride to his parents had been quiet and uneventful if one did not consider the singing of Nara Michi to be a memorable event. Neji and Shikamaru grinned the entire time, listening as their son sang along to the album of classic, soft rock Shikamaru kept in the car. The boy preferred not to speak the majority of the time, so Neji couldn't help but shake his head as the boy mumbled the lyrics to "Pretty Woman" and "Hey, Jude".

As he opened the door, his mother continued to prattle on at him as he continued to ignore her as he opened the back door and unbuckled Michi from his car seat to hand to the woman, sending his son a wink and the child giggled behind his hands before focusing on his grandmother, effectively ending Nara Yoshino's ranting.

Dinner was what Neji loved most about visiting his in-laws, or any meal in particular. There was constant conversation, and no matter how invasive, teasing or nosy it seemed to be, it was all loving and that was something that had eluded Neji during his childhood, and he knew that this would be something he would provide for his children.

After dinner, they settled in the living room to continue chatting, Michi sitting close to his mother, an arm wrapped around Neji's ankle stubbornly, batting his tiny hands at anyone who would try to move him and Neji couldn't help his laugher.

"I swear he gets that stubbornness from Shikamaru."

The man snorted as he wrapped as he looked at his husband. "Me? Alright," he mumbled and Neji blinked at him.

"What?"

"Obviously we're forgetting who you are, Mr. It's-impossible-to-get-salmonella-from-microwaved-mayonnaise."

Neji sucked his teeth. "Shikamaru, you're over exaggerating again."

"What? I was in the hospital for days!"

"You just had a little bug," Neji said dismissively before looking at his husband and smiling softly. "You know how much I love you," he whispered and Shikamaru only smiled back as he looped an arm around Neji's shoulders and kissed the elder man's lips briefly.

"Love you too."

Across from them, Yoshino smiled softly, Shikaku at her side with his arms resting on the back of the couch behind her, the woman quietly telling her husband to snap a photograph of Shikamaru and Neji and the man could do nothing more than hush her and comply. Shikaku reached for the camera they'd been using to take pictures of Michi with and focused on Shikamaru and Neji gazing at each other with soft smiles on their lips and at the last moment zoomed out to include little Michi who sat with his hand in his mouth, staring up at his parents.

The moment was captured, frozen in an instant of time and Shikaku smiled at the image before looking back up at his son, son-in-law, and grandson. He didn't know if he ever could have imagined the sight before him, but the reality of it tugged at his heart as he smiled a bit, wrapping his arm around his wife and sighing contentedly. Of the pride, elation, and love he felt, there were no words that could be said to do his emotions justice, and as Shikamaru gazed at him and his son smiled, he chuckled.

"What are you thinking about, old man?" the man asked his father, drawing Neji's to Shikaku.

"Oh, nothing," he smirked, "just nice having you home for a visit."

Shikamaru returned the smirk and Neji smiled gently as he pulled Michi into his lap. These were the moments they loved; the moments filled with genuine honesty and care for one another. Surrounded by family and loved ones, Neji smiled widely; this would be the love he exposed his son to, these would be the people who taught him about life's necessities, though he couldn't help but as though something was missing and at that moment, the doorbell rang and interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, I'll get that," Yoshino said, hopping up to get the door and returning a moment later with a wide smile on her lips. "It would seem we have a few more guests," she grinned, stepping out of the doorway and Neji smiled softly.

"I hope we are not interrupting, but we thought it...might be nice to come over and join you for desert, if it has not already been served."

"I baked a pie," Hinata said softly, smiling at Yoshino and the woman placed her hand on Hinata's back, leading her into the kitchen.

Neji wasn't sure if his family kept regular contact with Shikamaru's, though it seemed unlikely as did his uncle and cousins showing up randomly in the middle of the evening to have desert with them, but it wasn't unwelcome. Perhaps this was Hiashi's way of taking the final step over the bridge that they'd built the past decade, and as Shikaku invited Hiashi to sit beside him and then play a game of chess as Hanabi watched, Neji realized that these were the people that his son needed to be around, all of them because this was his family, they were the people he valued most, but most important were those in the closest vicinity to him: his husband and son, and he knew that this and they were all he would ever need.

* * *

A/N: Fin.

So? I let it slip early in this chapter that Neji was having twins lol. The line 'Neji had just entered what he doctor thought was his eight month, his thirty second week and at such a time, his doctor had set up an appointment for him to have a sonogram to determine his soon be "**newborns'** weight"– possessive plural, haha.

So who's excited?

And Michi's a year or so old. He learns through example which is why he can put his coat and hat on and speak, though Neji places the pacifier in his mouth because Michi has a constant habit of placing his hand in his mouth and I guess he figures pacifiers are cleaner than dirty, baby hands.


End file.
